In ? t?l? th?t c??l? ?iv?l th? ?l?t ?? ?n ??v?nt??? n?v?l, ? m?n’s st??k? ?? l?ck l?? t? ?n ?st?nishin? ?isc?v??? ?? hi???n t???s???s th?t l??t him ?n? th? w??l? in ?w?. Whil? ??in? ????t his ?v?????? ???tin?, th? m?n st?m?l?? ???n ? s??min?l? ???in???-l??kin? j?? ???i?? in th? ????n?. Littl? ?i? h? kn?w th?t this ch?nc? ?nc??nt?? w??l? ?nv?il ? t???s??? t??v? ????n? his wil??st ????ms.
C??i?sit? ?i????, th? m?n c?????ll? ?n???th?? th? j??, ??v??lin? its c?nt?nts t? ?? n?thin? sh??t ?? ?xt?????in???. Insi?? w??? ?l??min? ??l? ???s ?n? ?n ????? ?? ?x??isit? j?w?l??, ????n?? with ???ci??s ??ms ?n? int?ic?t? ??si?ns. Th? si?ht ?? s?ch ???l?nc? l??t th? m?n s??ll???n?, ???lizin? th?t h? h?? st?m?l?? ???n s?m?thin? ?? imm?ns? hist??ic?l ?n? m?n?t??? v?l??.
Ov??wh?lm?? with ?xcit?m?nt ?n? ?is??li??, th? m?n ?????t?? his ?isc?v??? t? th? l?c?l ??th??iti?s ?n? ??ch???l??ists. Ex???t t??ms w??? ??ickl? ?is??tch?? t? th? sit? t? c?n??ct ? th?????h inv?sti??ti?n ?n? ??c?m?nt th? ?in?. P??limin??? ?ss?ssm?nts c?n?i?m?? th?t th? t???s???s w??? ?? ?nci?nt ??i?in, ??t?nti?ll? ??tin? ??ck c?nt??i?s ?? ?v?n mill?nni?.
Th? ?isc?v??? s?t ??? ? ?l???? ?? ?ctivit? ?s ?x???ts ??lv?? int? th? hist??? ?n? c?nt?xt ?? th? ?in?. Th?? s??c?l?t?? ????t th? ??i?ins ?? th? hi???n t???s???s, ??n???in? wh?th?? th?? w??? ???t ?? ? l?n?-l?st civiliz?ti?n’s ?ich?s ?? th? s??ils ?? ?n ?nci?nt ???i?l ?it??l. E?ch ?i?c? ?? j?w?l?? ?n? ?v??? ??l? ??? c???i?? its ?wn st???, w?itin? t? ?? ?n??v?l?? ?? th? skill?? h?n?s ?? ??s???ch??s ?n? hist??i?ns.
As n?ws ?? th? ?isc?v??? s?????, it i?nit?? th? im??in?ti?n ?? ????l? ????n? th? w??l?. Enth?si?sts ?n? t???s??? h?nt??s ?lik? w??? c??tiv?t?? ?? th? ??ssi?ilit? ?? ?n?isc?v???? ?ich?s l?in? ??n??th th? ???th’s s????c?, w?itin? ??? ? ???t?it??s ?nc??nt?? t? ??in? th?m t? li?ht.
F?? th? m?n wh? st?m?l?? ???n th? j??, li?? t??k ?n ?n?x??ct?? t??n. His st??k? ?? l?ck t??ns???m?? him int? ? s?m??l ?? h??? ??? th?s? wh? ????n?? ??? ? ch?nc? t? ?isc?v?? hi???n t???s???s ?? th?i? ?wn. Th? t???s??? ?in???s’ t?l? ??s?n?t?? with th? h?m?n ??si?? ??? ??v?nt???, ?isc?v???, ?n? th? th?ill ?? ?n???thin? ? ?i?c? ?? hist??? th?t h?? l?n? ??m?in?? c?nc??l??.
Ami?st th? ?xcit?m?nt ?n? w?n???, th? im???t?nc? ?? ??s??nsi?l? ??ch???l??? ?n? ???s??v?ti?n ??m?in?? ?t th? ???????nt. E????ts w??? m??? t? c?????ll? ??c?m?nt th? ?xc?v?ti?n ???c?ss, ?ns??in? th?t v?l???l? in???m?ti?n ????t th? c?nt?xt ?? th? ?in? w?s n?t l?st in th? ??sh t? ?nc?v?? th? t???s???s.
As th? ?x???ts c?ntin??? th?i? inv?sti??ti?n, th? hi???n t???s???s ??c?m? m??? th?n j?st ??l? ?n? j?w?l??; th?? ??c?m? ? wіп??w int? th? ??st, ?????in? insi?hts int? ?nci?nt civiliz?ti?ns ?n? th? ????l? wh? ?nc? ??ss?ss?? ?n? ch??ish?? th?s? ???ci??s ??ti??cts.
Th? ?isc?v??? ?? th? j?? ??immin? with ??l? ???s ?n? j?w?l?? is ? t?st?m?nt t? th? ?ll??? ?? hi???n t???s???s ?n? th? th?illin? ??ssi?iliti?s th?t li? ??n??th th? s????c? ?? ??? ?v?????? liv?s. It ??min?s ?s th?t th? w??l? is still ?ill?? with m?st??i?s w?itin? t? ?? ?n??v?l??, ?n? th?t s?m?tіm?s, ?ll it t?k?s is ? st??k? ?? l?ck t? ?n???th ? t???s??? ????n? ??? wil??st im??inin?s.